Venetian blind clamp



April 23, 1940; J. H. BOOTH 2,197,965

VENETIAN BL'IND CLAMP Y Filed June 22, 1939 2 sheets-sheet 1 April 23, 1940.

J. H. BOOTH VENETIAN BLIND CLAMPl Filed June 22, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WJ i@ Mmmm.

PatenteclApr. 23, 194.0

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE- VENETIAN BLIND CLAMP Joseph Harold Booth, Chicago, Ill.

Application June 22, 1939, Serial No. 280,505

7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in Venetian blinds and particularly to' means forselective operation thereof.

In Venetian blinds of conventional structure,

- the slats adjacent to the top are the iirst to be extended and the last to be collapsed, and conversely the slats adjacent to the bottom of the blind are the last to be extended and the rst to be collapsed. Thus if the blind is only partially lowered the slats thereof adjacent the lower portion of the blind remain collapsed against each other, or if it is desired to partially raise the blind from its completely lowered position the slats adjacent the bottom thereof collapse first in an upward progression. Thus in either event it is not possible by means of the conventional construction to eliminate the resultant partial obstruction of view, light and air, resulting from the collapsed slats at the lower portion of the blind when it is desired to maintain it in only a partially extended position.

It is therefore the prime object of this invention to provide means cooperable with Venetian blinds of otherwise conventional construction whereby the blind may be partially closed from its fully extended position and yet permit the component slats thereof from a predetermined medial point and downward thereof to remain fully extended to the bottom of the blind, While permitting the slats above said pointto be progressively collapsed,

and thus eliminate the obstruction which conventionally takes place at the lower portion of the blind when it is partially extended.

Another object relates to means cooperable with the means for permitting an upper portion of a Venetian blind to be collapsed while permitting a lowermost portion to remain extended, whereby the predetermined angular tilt of the slats of the lower portion which remains fully extended, will be retained. y

Another object relates to means forengaging the slats to the tapes of the Venetian blind whereby the slats will be positively operated by ymeans of tapes and yet will eliminate bulging of the tape when the blind slats are tilted with the blind in its maximum extended position.

Other objects relates to economy and simplicity of construction and'op'eration, the arrangement .of parts and modifications thereof, which will be apparent from Va consideration of the following specification and drawings,` wherein;

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a Venetian blind embodying my invention. 551i Fig. 2 -a fragmentary horizontalsection cfa Venetian blind showing a plan View of my preferred form of control device.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 isa view similar to Fig. 4, but with the slat tilted angularly.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a modified form of control device mounted on a slat.

Fig. '7 is a vertical section on the line 'I-l' of Fig. 6. v

Fig. 8 is a plan view of another modified form of control device mounted on a Slat.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral I Il indicates a window casing within which a Venetian blind is mounted by means of the headvbar I I. The blind is provided additionally with conventional parts, such as the tilt bar I2, tilt gear I3, tilt cord I4, and operating or co1-l lapsing cords I5. Extending from the tilt bar I2 to the cross bar I6, and secured to each of them, are the two spaced apart pairs of tapes I'I which retain the slats I8 in spaced apart relationship to each other. nipulating Ythe tilt cord I4 all of the slats I8 may beturned` about their horizontal axesy and xed in a desired angular position. For the purpose of conventionally extending the slats I8, manipulation of the operating cords I5', which pass freely through slots I9 and arel endwise secured to the cross bar I6, permitsf'thef slats to become progressively spaced apart commencing with the, uppermost ones, until all of the slats` are extended, after which their angular position may be adjusted.

' In collapsing of the blind, in conventional op-r In normal operation, by maeration thereof, either wholly or partially, the iny dividual slats are drawn by meansv of the pull cords .against each other progressively from the bottom upward. Thus if the blind is only partially collapsed, thereis an accumulation of slats adjacent the lower portion of the' blindr which shuts out the view, light and air, and is unsightly. As shown in Fig. l, by means of my accessory, it is possible to partially collapse the blind and yet permit the lowermost slats to remain extended,

and even angularly tilted, and only those slats aid of the clamp holds the longitudinal axis of the cord to one side of that of the slat.

The form of accessory shown in Figs. 2 to 5, two of which are secured to the slat one adjacent each slot thereof, comprises a bracket 20 which may partially overlie and is generally parallel to the slot I9. The bracket is provided with legs 2l which extend over the ends oiu the slot, and so that it will not be necessary to drill or drive screws into the slats, the bracket is secured to the slat by means of the bolts 22 suitably anchored by plates 23 on the under side of the slat. Each bracket is provided with a pair of slotted upstanding ears 24 and which retain the ends of bails 25. In place of the conventional fabric cradle vwhich seats the slat, at least one of the slats IS on which the accessory is mounted is secured by means of its bails 25 to the tape I'I by suitab-le means such as being stitched thereto as at 26, or otherwise suitably secured as by means of pins, metal clasps and the like. Thus the slat which carries the accessory will be assured of being positively positioned or tilted by means of the tapes I'I, and by reason of the bail ends freedom to pivot and slide in their retaining slots, bulging of the tapes will be eliminated when the slats are tilted with the blind in its maximum extended position.

Pivoted to the bracket 28 on an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of slot I3 is a bell crank clamp lever, one end 2l of which extends over the upper surface of the Slat and terminates in wing-like portions 28 and a downwardly extending spacer leg 29, so that the lever may be manually engaged or disengaged by the finger of the operator. The opposed end oi the lever terminates in a suitable clamping edge, such as the serrated edge 38, which extends into the slot I3 and over substantially the free length thereof. A pair'of over-center springs 3l extend from the lever end 2l to the sides of bracket 2B so as to maintain the lever in either a clamped or disengaged position. Secured to the under side of the slat, and suitably by means of one or both of the bolts 22, is a spring 32 provided with a loop 33 held at a point where it coincides with the center of the open portion of the slot I9, the loop being partially open so that cord I5 may be pressed laterally into it, and being of suflicient diameter so that cord I5 will slide freely in the loop. VAlthough not shown, it will be understood that loop 33 may be maintained by means of a single spring leg l32 extending from one bolt 22, and that spring 32 may not only be the wire spring shown, but I may use suitable equivalents, such as rubber, iibre, or light flat metal.

In conventional operation of the blind, that is when it is not desired to utilize the accessory, the bell crank lever may be tilted to the full position shown in Fig. 3, and the cord will then freely pass through the slot I3. However, when it is desired to partially close the blind but retain the lower slats open, the lever is tilted to the dotted position shown in Fig. 3, whereupon the clamping edge 30 bites into the cord I5 and presses it against the side of slot I9. Thereafter operation of the outer ends of cord I5 will cause all .of the slats above the one to which the accessory is attached to collapse leaving those below it extended. Also since by this operation the upper portion of the tapes I'I become collapsed the lowermost slats will mainly depend from the cord I5 and aid in the clamping action of the lever against the cord and thus aid in maintaining the i'lxed position.

If it is desired to maintain the slats in angularly tilted position, they are rst fixed at the desired angle, the clamp then engaged, and the upper portion of thev slats then collapsed. In normal operation, regardless of the angular position of the slats I8, the cord I5 becomes centered between the tapes Il, so that the longitudinal axis of the cord intersects the longitudinal axis of the Slat, and due to the collapsing of the upper portion of the tape which extends from the tilt bar, any predetermined tilt would be nulliiied. However, by providing the loop 33, when the slats are tilted, the cord I5 is drawn out of the aforementioned axial alignment with the slat, and to one side of the slot thereof, and thus the section of the slat extending downwardly and to vone side of the rope I5 will be held and fixed in a position where it is of greater weight than the remaining upwardly extending position, and in this manner substantially retain its position of angular tilt without dependence on the tapes I'I.

Figs. 6 and 7 show a modified form'of Venetian blind accessory for accomplishing the purposes hereinbefore set out, and in substantially the same manner. The bracket 36 positioned parallel to and partially overlying slot I9 is provided with suitable legs 37 and 38 and is aixed to the slat I8 by suitable brads, bolts or the like as at 39. Pivoted at 48 within the bracket is a bell crank lever, one end 4I of which is formed with a clamping edge and extends downwardly into slot I9. The opposed lever end 42 projects over the upper surface of the slat and terminates in an upwardly bent angular portion 43. A lever 44 is pivoted at 45 to leg 31, and is pivotally movable over the face of the slat so that aided by its wedge-like mid portion 45 it may be caused to wedge under lever portion 43 to cause` the bell crank lever to turn on its pivot 4 0 and into the dotted position shown in Fig. '7, in which position lever arm 4I permits freedom ofl operating cord movement in slot I9 and renders inoperative the clamping action of the accessory. When it is desired to utilize the accessory and to cause clamping action of the operating cord, the lever 44 is manually withdrawn fromy lever` portions 42 and 43, where-upon due to the fact that the end 42 of the bell crank lever is longer and of greater weight than the end 4I, the lever will pivot and fall to the full position shown in Fig. 7, bringing the end 4I upwardly into slot I9 and cause a narrowing of the free path therein and against the operating cord. No spring action is necessary to bring about rm clamping action of the clamping edge 4I against the cord for the reason that as the external ends of the pull cord are manipulated to partially collapse the blind the attempted upward passage of the cord in slot I9 against the edge 4i will cause an increase in the bite thereof and a secure clamping action.

The further modified form of accessory shown in Fig. 8 comprises a slidable member 48 formed with slots 49 and retained for longitudinal sliding movement on the surface of slat I8 by means of bolts or screws 55. The member 48 is provided with a clamping edge 5I, and is mounted adjacent to the slot I9 so that by actuation of the lever 52 eccentrically pivoted at 53 the cam head 54 thereof will cause the member 48 to slide and bring the edge 5I into position over slot I9 where it will engage and restrict passage of the operating cord through the slot, and bring about the action described hereinbefore.

.It will also be understood that aItbQilsh :1.191:

(it)v shown, the modified forms shown in Figs. 6 to 8 may include bails 25 shown in my preferred form for securing the slat which carries the accessory to the tapes I7. These modified forms may likewise also include a spring 32 or its equivalent.

and cord engaging central loop' 33 for retaining angular tilt of the slats after an upper section of the blind has been collapsed, in the manner more fully described in setting forth my preferred form of device.

It will also be understood that with all forms of my accessory, at least one pair of them are utilized, one adjacent each of the two conventional cord slots. It will also be apparent that more than one slat of the blind may be provided with a set of clamping accessories so as to provide variation in the number of lowermost slats desired to be left extended while collapsing all those above that slat on which the vclamping devices are brought into engagement with the operating cord. It will be seen from the foregoing that the accessory is relatively simple in construction and can easily be operated without mechanical skill and by a simple finger manipulation. Further, the device is small and is concealed by the tapes of the blind so that it is not unsightly either in use or disuse. f

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a Venetian blind of conventional construction of means positioned on an intermediate component slat adapted to permit an uppermost section of the blind to be collapsed while causing the remaining lowermost section thereof to remain expanded, said means comprising a clamping edge extending longitudinally of the operating cord slot of said slat and lever means for moving said edge transversely of said slot to restrict the effective width thereof and to clamp the blind operating cord against upward movement through the slot, and in variable xed angular relationship thereto.

2. A Venetian blind accessory of the class described comprising a clamping edge adapted to be positioned on a blind slat longitudinally of the slot thereof and lever means for actuating said edge to move it transversely of said slot to reduce the effective width thereof and to clamp the operating cord of the blind against upward movement through the slot while maintaining its relative position and angular relationship.

3. The combination with a Venetian yblind of Conventional construction of a unit positioned on an intermediate component slat thereof adapted to permit an uppermost section of the blind to be collapsed while causing the remaining lowermost section thereof to remain expanded and in substantially prearranged angularly tilted relationship, said unit comprising an operating cord guide positioned on the under side of said slat and adapted to hold the cord with its longitudinal axis away from that of the slat when the slat is angularly tilted, a clamping edge extending longitudinally of the operating cord slot of said slat andlever means on the upper surface of said slat for moving said edge transversely of said slot to restrict the effective Width thereof and to clamp the blind operating cord against upward movement through the slot and in the position therein xed by said cord guide.

4. A Venetian blind accessory of the class described comprising a clamping edge adapted to be positioned on a blind slat longitudinally of the slot thereof, lever means adapted to extend on the upper slat surface for actuating said edge to move it transversely of said slot to reduce the effective width thereof and to clamp the operating cord of the blind against upward movement through the slot, and a cord guide adapted to extend on the under surface of said slat and provided with a loop for maintaining said cord normally intermediate of said slot and for causing it to be held adjacent tofone end of the slot when the slat is in angularly tilted position.

5. The combination with a Venetian blind of conventional construction of a unit positioned y on'an intermediate component slat and between the opposed pairs of tapes thereof adapted to permit an uppermost section of the'blind to be collapsed while causing the remaining lowermost section thereof to remain expanded and in substantially prearrangedangularly tilted relationship, said unit comprising an operating cord guide positioned on the under side of said slat and adapted to hold the cord with its longitudinal axis away from that of the slat when the slat is angularly tilted, a clamping edge extending longitudinally of the operating cord slot of said slat, lever means on the upper surface of said slat for moving said edge transversely of said slot to restrict the effective width thereof and to clamp the blind operating cord against upward movement through the slot and in the position therein xed by said cord guide, and a pair of opposed bails partially secured to said tapes and supporting said slat, the ends of said bails being pivotally and slidably retained in slotted guideways extending from said unit and adapted to eliminate bulging of the tape when the blind slats are tiltedl with the blind in its maximum extended position.

6. The combination with a Venetian blind of conventional construction of means positioned on a component intermediate slat adapted to permit an uppermost section of theblind to be collapsed while causing the remaining lowermost section thereof to remain expanded, said means comprising a unit secured to the upper surface ofthe slat adjacent the cord slot thereof and having a bell crank lever pivotally mounted therein, one end of said lever being formed with a .clamping edge extending longitudinally of and into said slot and the opposed end of said lever extending externally over said slat surface, the said clamping edge lever end being adapted to be moved transversely of said slot by means of said external lever end to restrict the effective width of the slot and to clamp and engage the blind operating cord against upward movement through said slot. i

7. The combination` with a Venetian blind of conventional construction of means positioned on a component intermediate slat adapted to width thereof and to clamp the blind operating cord against upward movement through the slot.

J. HAROLD ZBOOTI-I.v 

